This invention relates to an apparatus for handling documents or the like, and more particularly to a carrying direction changing apparatus for changing a path of carrying of documents or the like such as bills (notes) and slips.
There is already known a carrying path-changing gate for changing a direction of carrying of bills or the like conveyed at high speed in an apparatus, and one such technique is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-11-171386. This technique is characterized in that with respect to a solenoid for driving a change-over gate, an impact is absorbed by a stopper, thereby obviating the use of rubber. A technique of moving bills in a first direction or a second direction is disclosed as a control for switching a gate in accordance with the driving of a solenoid.
One example of carrying direction changing apparatuses for documents or the like is shown in FIG. 4. In this apparatus, the direction of carrying of the documents, conveyed in a carrying path A, is changed to one of two directions, that is, a carrying path B and a carrying path C. This apparatus comprises a gate body 101 (serving as gate means) for changing the carrying direction from the carrying path A to the carrying path B or the carrying path C while carrying and guiding the documents, a rotation shaft 102 (serving as support means) on which the gate body 101 is fixedly mounted, links (forming a link mechanism) 103, 104 and 105 connected to the rotation shaft so as to rotate this rotation shaft by a predetermined angle necessary for changing the carrying direction, solenoid means 106 (serving as a drive source) and spring means 107 for driving the link mechanism, and stop means (not shown) for stopping the rotation shaft at the predetermined angle.
In this document carrying direction changing apparatus, when the documents are to be transferred from the carrying path A to the carrying path B, a predetermined voltage is applied to the solenoid 106 to drive the same so as to move the gate body 101 into a position indicated in a solid line in FIG. 4. When the documents are to be transferred from the carrying path A to the carrying path C, a voltage is not applied to the solenoid 106, so that the gate body 101 is rotated in a reverse direction under the influence of the spring 107, and is held in a position, indicated by a broken line in FIG. 4, by the stop means. In this manner, the carrying direction of the documents can be changed to the two directions.
FIG. 5 shows a known apparatus for changing a carrying direction of documents to three directions. In this apparatus, the carrying direction is changed from a carrying path A to a carrying path B or a carrying path C, or from the carrying path B to the carrying path A or the carrying path C while carrying and guiding the documents. This apparatus comprises a gate body 101 for changing the carrying direction while carrying and guiding the documents, a rotation shaft 102 having this gate body 101 fixedly mounted thereon, and a stepping motor 108 (serving as a drive source) connected to this rotation shaft 102.
In this apparatus for changing the document-carrying direction to the three directions, in order that the gate body 101 can be moved into each required position so as to change the carrying path, the number of steps of stepping motor 108 is beforehand controlled to obtain a predetermined angle, and the stepping motor is driven to change the carrying direction of the documents.
In the first example, the carrying direction of the documents can be changed only to the two directions. Therefore, in order that the carrying direction of the documents can be changed to three directions, another carrying path-changing apparatus of a similar construction is needed, and this would invite a problem that the changing mechanism becomes large in size. There may be encountered another problem that even if only the gate body is formed into such a shape as to be able to carry and guide the documents in three directions, the gate body can not be stopped at three positions.
In the second example of apparatus for changing the carrying path to the three directions, the carrying direction of the documents can be changed to the three directions. However, the stepping motor is used as the drive source, and therefore when the speed of the changing operation is high, there are encountered problems that a step-out occurs when the gate body is driven, that the control for rotating (angularly move) the gate body through the predetermined angle is difficult, so that an error in the carrying direction changing operation for the documents occurs at the changing portion, and that the jamming due to an improper changing operation is liable to occur. And besides, the stepping motor must always be energized in order to stop the gate body at the predetermined position, and this is a problem from an energy-saving point of view.
According to the present invention, there is provided a carrying direction changing apparatus comprising one gate means having a function of changing the carrying direction from one carrying path to another carrying path while carrying and guiding the documents, rotation shaft means having the gate means fixedly mounted thereon, a bracket fixedly mounted on the rotation shaft means, a pin mounted on the bracket, link means pivotally movable relative to the pin, a drive source connected to the link means so as to drive the gate means, spring means connected at one end thereof to the bracket, stop member means provided for contact with the bracket, rotation shaft means for enabling the stop member to rotate, a pin mounted on the stop member means, link means pivotally movable relative to this pin, and a drive source connected to this link means so as to drive the stop member means.